Homeless Veteran ripped off by couple who started gofundme

[Por_sha911]

Homeless veteran who helped stranded woman says he can't get GoFundMe cash from couple | Fox News

A homeless veteran in Philadelphia who made headlines last year after he used his last $20 to help a stranded stranger fill up her car's gas tank said he has no access to the money raised on GoFundMe...

...Bobbitt raised suspicions over how McClure, a receptionist, is now driving a new BMW. The couple said the car was paid from their own money.

GoFundMe said it will work to ensure Bobbitt "receives the help he deserves and that the donors' intentions are honored."

The couple insists they did nothing wrong and that they did all they could to help Bobbitt.

[masraum]

People are wankers. No shock, no surprise.

[Bill Douglas]

Ha, that's BMW people for ya.

[Arizona_928]

I think that's the essential definition of stolen vaLor....
Not those people that wear old bdu's with a ranger scroll.

[legion]

There's more to the story. The couple claim they aren't dispensing the money until he gets himself clean and off drugs. They aren't spending it, just withholding it. They gave him $25,000 and he pissed it away on drugs. He seems to have mental health issues but doesn't want help, just drugs. If they gave him the money, he'd probably end up dead in short order.

[Por_sha911]

He admits he spent the 25k on gifts to friends and partying but, the gofundme was not setup with stipulations and people gave money thinking it goes to the vet. They changed the rules AFTER the money was donated and the amount grew so large. The way I read the article half the money is gone.

Bobbitt told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he can't use the $200,000 left out of the $400,000 that donors raised on GoFundMe, and he no longer has a camper or a car.

Where did it go?

More sketchy info:

The promise of a home gave way to a camper that Bobbitt lived in until June on land McClure's family owns in rural Florence Township, Burlington County, near the small house the couple share. He never got his "dream" pickup, a 1999 Ford Ranger, and the used SUV he was given instead broke down. The couple said they put the two vehicles in McClure's name so Bobbitt couldn't sell them, but both vehicles have since been sold.

The couple declined to produce financial statements or provide an accounting of the spending from the GoFundMe campaign.

How was she able to buy a new BMW on a secretary salary?

Wanna bet they are paying themselves an income to "administrate" the fund? It smells like greed to me.

[Por_sha911]

$400G in GoFundMe cash for homeless vet is gone, lawyer claims | Fox News

Bobbitt’s attorneys requested that the couple remain in New Jersey, surrender their passports, post a bond and restrict access to their bank accounts after they failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to deliver any remaining money from the GoFundMe account, according to the paper.

Last week, Superior Court Judge Paula T. Dow ordered the couple to wire the remaining funds to a trust for Bobbitt, and submit an accounting report of the donated money within 24 hours.

Bobbitt, who questions the couple's motives and fears they may have squandered the money, claims they used the funds to buy a new BMW and take lavish vacations. He also questions if the couple has the legal authority to deny him the money.

Three lawyers are representing Bobbitt pro bono.

Jacqueline Promislo, another lawyer for Bobbitt said the couple’s lawyer, Ernest E. Badway, never responded regarding the request to transfer the remaining GoFundMe funds or if the money had been moved, according to the paper.

[legion]

Maybe the couple spent it all? We just don't know yet.

This makes me suspicious, though:

Last week, Superior Court Judge Paula T. Dow ordered the couple to wire the remaining funds to a trust for Bobbitt, and submit an accounting report of the donated money within 24 hours.

Could you submit an accounting of any money that you spent over any number of months in 24 hours? Seems like a trap that the homeless guy's attorney's somehow convinced a sympathetic judge to spring on them.

What probably happened? At this point, I'm inclined to believe the couple spent all the money and are dodging accountability.

(See, I can change my mind when more information comes in.)

[Tidybuoy]

I couldn't imagine setting up a GoFundMe account because I spent $20 helping someone. Or, maybe the donees set up the account. If so, they should turn over the dough for the purpose it was intended.

Regardless, online begging is not something I really care about.

[widebody911]

I just automatically assume any GoFundMe is automatically a scam

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by legion

There's more to the story. The couple claim they aren't dispensing the money until he gets himself clean and off drugs. They aren't spending it, just withholding it. They gave him $25,000 and he pissed it away on drugs. He seems to have mental health issues but doesn't want help, just drugs. If they gave him the money, he'd probably end up dead in short order.

That's my take on it too. The McClure's did far more than just give him money to try to help him. He threw their efforts to help him back in their faces. He seems to want nothing more than to be a rich homeless drug addict.
The money isn't McClure's but it was donated on the premise that it was to help Bobbit, not let him live like a rich homeless drug addict.
Mclure's lawyer says the money is gone. Bobbit is better off.

[asphaltgambler]

^^^^ All in on that statement^^^^^

[stealthn]

Update is all the money is gone ...

[Por_sha911]

Regardless of how the guy was going to spend the money, the couple raised it for him and spent it on themselves. That is a scam and they need to be prosecuted.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Regardless of how the guy was going to spend the money, the couple raised it for him and spent it on themselves. That is a scam and they need to be prosecuted.

Maybe. It depends on how the GoFUndme appeal was written. If it said, "Give this poor homeless veteran drug addict money so he can continue to be a homeless veteran drug addict only with a lot more money," then I would agree.
But I suspect (and I don't know for sure because the GFM ad has been taken down) the appeal the McClures wrote was about collecting money to help him out of homelessness and addiction. They tried to help him with recovery. Turned out he really just wanted to be a homeless veteran drug addict - but with a lot more money.

[island911]

I'm with Patrick on this one.

Besides, maybe they started a foundation, and knew someone close who needed a fabulous wedding paid for.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by island911

I'm with Patrick on this one.

The earth halted in its rotation for a moment there.

[island911]

But just a moment.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I couldn't imagine setting up a GoFundMe account because I spent $20 helping someone. Or, maybe the donees set up the account. If so, they should turn over the dough for the purpose it was intended.

Regardless, online begging is not something I really care about.

It's my understanding that the homeless guy gave his last $20 to the wife because she ran out of gas or something like that. The couple then started the gofundme to raise money for the homeless guy. (in theory to help him get back on his feet).

Originally Posted by widebody911

I just automatically assume any GoFundMe is automatically a scam

I did once donate to a gofundme or one of those for a former work colleague who got pancreatic cancer. He passed away. I did wonder for a while if I'd been scammed (not buy him, but maybe by someone else using his name to setup the scam).

Originally Posted by stealthn

Update is all the money is gone ...

Not a huge surprise. If you went out of your way to "help" someone and they didn't really do what you wanted, or what you felt was best, then it would be easy to think "I'm busting my ass to do the right thing and this guy just went on a $25k drug fueled bender. Screw him."

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Regardless of how the guy was going to spend the money, the couple raised it for him and spent it on themselves. That is a scam and they need to be prosecuted.

That's the thing about my statement above. The foolish/generous people that donated the money didn't say "if the guy turns out to be a loser, then you folks can have the money." When you give someone money, unless there's a stipulation (which there rarely is) on exactly how the money can be used (by the intended recipient), then you have no recourse if the person receiving the money does something that you don't like with the money after you've gifted it (other than to have learned your lesson and not gift money again).

The people were trying to be nice, and then felt like they were being boned. Tough Sheisse! The money wasn't donated to you. They are now guilty of Grand Theft.

There was, I suspect no sort of stipulation or contract saying that the money could only be used for X, Y or Z. If you give someone a gift of money, and they blow it all on hookers and blow, then you need to learn to live with it.

The guy may at times want to fix his life, but the monkey on his back isn't ready to get off, so giving him $400k will probably just kill him. It is what it is, but it's like that with any addict whether they are a vet or not. Don't give addicts money and you won't have this problem.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by masraum

There was, I suspect no sort of stipulation or contract saying that the money could only be used for X, Y or Z. If you give someone a gift of money, and they blow it all on hookers and blow, then you need to learn to live with it. .

I have not been able to locate the verbiage of the GoFunMe page. It could have said, "Give this guy some money,: or it could have said, "Give US some money so we can help this guy." I just don't know. I am pretty sure no matter where the money went, it wasn't where the donators expected it to go.